Oops, someone's knocked their braai plate off the table and you're staring at greasy chops, greasy boerewors, bits of lettuce and salad dressing on your fabulous carpet or rug!

Here is your first aid for greasy stains on your carpet.

First scrape off any solids and blot up liquids quickly by dabbing lightly with a clean WHITE towel or paper towel.

Apply a non-flammable dry cleaning agent to the spot with the white towel; start at the edges and work towards the centre. DO NOT SCRUB, just lightly dab at it until the spot comes clean. (First test the cleaning agent on an inconspicious corner of the carpet - eg. behind the door or in a hidden corner.)

If you have a less greasy stain, spray aerosol shaving cream on it or dampen it with carbonated water. Use a hair dryer to dry it thoroughly and then vacuum.

You can also try sprinkling the stain with bicarbonate of soda, cornflour or talcum powder, leaving it for several hours and then vacuum.